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Ross gets green light for all camp activities

Cody Ross' 2013 season fell short of expectations and the veteran looks to fight for playing time and find consistent play in 2014

By Steve Gilbert
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MLB.com |

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Cody Ross, as usual, was all smiles Tuesday morning in the D-backs clubhouse.

Ross has good reason to be happy these days, as he appears to be far ahead of schedule in returning from a fracture and dislocation of his right hip in August.

Ross met Monday with Anthony Rhorer, who performed the surgery on Ross' hip in August, and the Arizona outfielder was cleared to take part in all activities at Spring Training.

"I don't think he really fully thought that I was going to be where I'm at right now," Ross said of Rhorer. "He was pretty surprised the way my rehab went and my therapy went. He just kept giving me the green light to push it a little further and push it a little further. I saw him yesterday and he gave me free rein to do everything. That's a nice feeling when you go into a doctor and he says, 'Go for it. Go until you can't go anymore.'"

Ross is optimistic about being ready for the D-backs' home opener March 31 against the Giants, and he has not ruled out playing in the Opening Series against the Dodgers on March 22-23 in Sydney, Australia.

Ross has done most of his running on an anti-gravity treadmill at about 75 percent of his body weight and there are times when the D-backs' training staff has to caution him against pushing too fast.

"We still have a few hurdles to cross," Ross said. "We've yet to go out and actually run on the ground instead of on the treadmill."

Ross has done some jogging in the outfield while shagging balls during batting practice and occasionally gets a bit carried away.

"I'll just kind of take off running and the trainers are like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's back off a little bit,'" he said.